Latest floods in Spain: multiple bodies found in garage; PM warns ‘stay home, this isn’t over yet’; apocalyptic images reveal devastation | World news

Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish Prime Minister, speaks at the Emergency Services Coordination Center in Valencia.

He announces that the area will be declared a disaster area and that the official crisis level has been raised to level 2.

“We will not abandon the people of Valencia,” he says.

‘We will be here with you for as long as necessary and will deploy all necessary resources. Our priority at the moment is of course to find victims and find missing persons.

“Also so that friends or family can really do something about the fear that families, victims and missing persons experience.”
He reiterated warnings we previously reported from the country’s Transport Minister that authorities believed there were still many bodies trapped in cars affected by the floods.”

He adds that people affected by the disaster should stay at home as more heavy rain is forecast (see post 7.09).

“The most important thing is that I know that Spaniards are aware that this phenomenon is not over yet,” he says.

“The Spanish weather agency has continued to issue warnings in Valencia and elsewhere in Spain. And that is why I urge everyone to follow these recommendations and to follow the advice of law enforcement and protection authorities.

“Anyone affected, please stay home.”